PLANS to build up to 105 new homes on the site of a former farm and infants school in Egremont could be refused next week.

Gleeson Homes is hoping to build the proposed development at Howbank Farm and former Orgill Infants School sites and has applied to Cumberland Council for full planning permission.

It will be before the council's planning committee at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Wednesday (January 31) because the application site exceeds two hectares in area and the proposal exceeds 100 properties.

However, planning officers at the council have recommended that members refuse the application for a number of reasons including that it does not respond positively to the character of the site and the immediate and wider setting.

The planning report states that the application relates to two sites within close proximity to each other in Egremont and the larger of the two is known as the How Bank Farm site and covers 4.15 hectares of agricultural land.

The report states: "The site adjoins open fields to the north and to the east, with existing residential properties to south and west. The land is currently accessed from Chaucer Avenue.

"The smaller of the two sites is referenced as the Former Orgill School site and comprises 0.64 hectares (1.57 acres) former school site.

"The site is a cleared site that has most recently been used as a compound by the contractors completing the Skirting Beck and Whangs Beck Flood Risk Management Scheme.

"The site is regular in both shape and topography. The site is situated at the junction of Chaucer Avenue with Croadalla Avenue and is surrounded by existing residential development.

"There are no conservation areas or listed buildings on or directly adjacent to the application site."

According to the report the Skirting Beck and Whangs Beck Flood Risk Management Scheme has recently been completed in that area of Egremont.

It adds: "The scheme has involved constructing flood storage areas, with flood walls and flood embankments, at West Lakes Academy, the Falcon Club, How Bank Farm and at Whangs Beck Culvert.

"Improvements were also completed at Croadalla Avenue on Skirting Beck. Property resistance measures have also been delivered to 36 properties across the town. The scheme seeks to reduce the flood risk to 220 properties."

The proposed development would comprise: 16 two-bedroom homes; 65 three-bedroom properties; and 24 with four or more bedrooms.

There would be four bungalows and 101 two-storey semi-detached homes with a total of 10 per cent of the proposed dwellings meeting the definition of affordable housing.

The report states: "Access to the How Bank Farm site is proposed via a newly formed junction and spinal highway connecting to Baybarrow Road.

"The layout of this site incorporates a combination of front development to the spinal highway and a number of cul-de-sacs.

"Areas of formal and informal open space are incorporated within the layout, these include a large area of undeveloped area to the sloping land to the south, more formal recreational areas and areas accommodating drainage infrastructure.

"Access to the Former Orgill School site comprises a combination of driveways fronting onto Chaucer Avenue and Croadalla Avenue and the creation of a shared surface access from Croadalla Avenue.

"The layout incorporates active frontages to the highways and the open spaces. A drainage infrastructure pond is located within the open space to the south of the site."

It is proposed that each property would have a minimum of two off road parking spaces as well as 42 visitor parking spaces throughout the development.

The report states: "It is proposed to finish the dwellings with brick to the elevation and concrete tiles to the roof structure. White uPVC windows and doors are proposed.

"The dwelling designs utilise dormers and gables within the roof pattern to create a varied roofscape and articulation/interest to the elevations."

Egremont town council has welcomed the proposed housing development but has raised a number of concerns.